Vending storage bin



g- 1, 1967 J. SCHENDORF ETAL. 3,333,732

VENDING STORAGE BIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25,- 1966 INVENTORS JOHNSCHENDORF 8| IRVING GOLDBERT ATTORNEYS 1, 1967 J. SCHENDORF ETAL3,333,732

VENDING STORAGE BIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25 1966 INVENTORS JOHNSCHENDORF 8 IRVING GOLDBERT ATTORNEY Aug. 1, 1967 J. SCHENDORF ETALVENDING STORAGE {BIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 25, 1966 FIG. 5

FIG. 3

INVENTORS JOHN SCHENDORF 8: B IRVING GOLDBERT ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,333,732 VENDING STORAGE BIN John Schendorf, Metuchen, NJ., andIrving Goldbert, Mountainside, NJ. (231 North Ave., Garwood, NJ. 07027);said Schendorf assignor to said Goldbert Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No.530,114 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-242) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Vendingstorage bin having adjustable side plates pivoted on a transverse rodand slideable longitudinally therealong, and a notched transverse memberspaced from the rod, so that a side plate can swing out of one notch,slide along the rod, and swing into another notch.

This invention relates to vending storage bins, and more particularly tosuch bins for articles in a vending machine released by a coincontrolled mechanism.

Vending machines are being made and are already in use for vendingarticles such as cigarette packs, which are of relatively smalldimensions. Such machines have a series of parallel mechanisms eachcomprising a dispensing plunger, a storage bin above the plunger, asupply rack at the bottom of the storage bin, and a pusher driven alongthe supply rack by the plunger.

It has become desirable to adapt one or more of such mechanisms in theseries to dispense larger articles such as packs of cigars, which arewider or longer, or both, than the cigarette packs of the remainingmechanisms of the series.

The main object of the present invention is directed to the storagebins, to make them adjustable to receive and deliver to such mechanismsthe packages of larger or smaller, wider or narrower, sizes.

In our development, we have adapted a short stroke plunger mechanism toprovide a longer stroke for the delivery pusher. It is therefore a morespecific object of the present invention to adapt the storage bins forvending machines to receive larger size packages, for delivery therefromby said longer stroke pusher.

According to the present invention, at least one of the storage bin sideplates is mounted on a transverse pivotal axis and movable therealong,and a transverse member is spaced from the pivotal axis and hasselective abutments for locating the side plate nearer to or fartherfrom the supply rack to receive narrower or wider articles.

Preferably the supply racks comprise platforms equally transverselyspaced in fixed relation along a common support. Preferably thetransverse member has upper and lower flanges extending toward each sideplate, with notches in the edges forming said selective abutments.Preferably the side plate is provided with a strip near one edge of theside plate having an angle flange, and a pin and slot connection betweenthe strip and plate for adjusting said angle flange to receive longer orshorter articles.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a section through a vending machine provided with storagebins according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, astaken along the line 1-1 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one adjustable bin side plate;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a complementary adjustable bin sideplate; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the locking device for the adjustedside plates.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the machine has a series of parallel dispensingmechanisms operated by respective plungers 10. The machine also hasstorage bin supply racks comprising platforms 12 equally transverselyspaced in fixed relation along a common support 14.

As shown in FIGURE 2, each plunger 10 actuates a lever 16 connected to adepending portion 18 of a pusher 20 to drive it for a delivery stroke.The portions 18 depend through respective slots 22 in the support 14.

The storage bins have parallel side plates 24 and 26 movable toward andaway from each other to form wider or narrower bins to receive packagesof different widths shown as A, B, C, and G, H, I. The side platesbetween these two groups are arbitrarily removed to show the pushers 20operating along the slots 22 between the platforms 12.

The side plates 24 and 26 are mounted on a transverse rod 28, at leastone of said side plates being pivoted thereon and movable therealong.The rod 28 is supported at its ends by transverse end portions 30 of themachine casing at the rear thereof.

Spaced from the rod 28, preferably therebelow is a transverse member 32having spaced abutments 34 for locating the side plates in selectedwidth positions. In the form shown, the member 32 is channel shaped,having flanges 36 and 38 with spaced notches therein forming theabutments 34.

Both side plates have lateral vertical flanges 40 at the back thereof asstops for the back ends of the articles, and rearwardly extending lowervertical flanges 42 for selectively engaging the notches 34.

For locking the movable side plates in selected position, a clip isprovided, as shown in FIGURE 5. This clip has a vertical strip 45 with atop flange 46 having notches 48 complementary to the notches 34. Thisclip also has a bottom flange 50 with a bolt hole 49 receiving a bolt 51to secure it to the top of the platform 12. The bottom flange 50 has adepending tongue 52 received in a centering slot 53 in the platform.

At least one of the side plates, 24 as shown has an angle flange 54 witha pin and slot connection to the side plate. In FIGURE 4 the flange 54has a pivot 56 at the top, and spaced slots therebelow. The top slot 59receives a rivet 60, and the bottom slot 61 receives a set screw 62.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispensing machine having parallel mechanisms each comprising adispensing plunger, a storage bin having parallel side plates, a supplyrack at the bottom of said storage bin, and a pusher driven along saidsupply rack by said plunger, means for mounting at least one of saidside plates at substantially a mid portion of the back thereof on atransverse pivotal axis in the back of said machine above the path ofsaid pusher and below the tops of said side plates, said plate beingperpendicular to and slidable along said pivotal axis toward and awayfrom the path of said pusher and a transverse member in the back of themachine and spaced below said pivotal axis and having transverselyspaced abutments, said mounting permitting said movable side plate toswing out of engagement with one abutment, move along said axis to asecond abutment, and swing back into engagement with said secondabutment for selectively locating said movable side plate.

2. Dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said supply rackscomprise platforms extending in a direction from front to back of saidmachine and equally spaced transversely in fixed relation along a commonsupport with the path of said pusher therebetween and therebelow :andparallel thereto.

3. Dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1, in combination with aremovable member in front of said movable side plate havingcorresponding abutments for locking said movable side plate in selectedposition.

3 4 4. Dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1, in which spacedtherealong to selectively receive the back of said transverse axis onwhich said movable plate is pivoted said side plate 24 or 26. is formedby a transverse rod. 6. Dispensing machine as claimed in claim 5, incom- 5. A dispensing machine having a series of parallel bination with acomplementary flange 46 having corremechanisms each comprising adispensing plunger 10. 5 spondingly spaced notches 48 to selectivelyreceive the a storage bin having parallel side plates 24 and 26, frontof the selected side plate, and

and a supply rack at the bottom of said storage bin, removably secured49, 51 to the top of the front porsaid supply racks comprising platforms12 equally tion of one of said platforms 12 to secure the selectedtransversely spaced in fixed relation along a common side plate 24 or 26in position. support 14 and rising thereabove, 10 D a pusher. 20 drivenby said plunger along a slot 22 in References Clted said common support14 between an adjacent air UNITED STATES PATENTS of said platforms '12,

a transverse rod 28 in the back of said machine above 847863 3/1907Watts "1 221242 the top of said platforms 12 and below the tops of 152272682 2/1942 Srodulskl 312-42 Said Side plates 24 and 26 2,728,623 12/1955 Foerstner 21149 a mid portion of at least Ode of said side plates24 and 3018001 1/1962 Combs 21149 3,127,022 3/1964 French 211184 26being pivoted on said rod 28 perpendicularthereto and slidabletherealong toward or away from said ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examinenpusher slots 22, and 20 a transverse flange 36 or 38 in the back of themachine STANLEY TOLLBERG, Asslsmnt Examinerand spaced below said rod andhaving notches 34

1. IN A DISPENSING MACHINE HAVING PARALLEL MECHANISMS EACH COMPRISING ADISPENSING PLUNGER, A STORAGE BIN HAVING PARALLAL SIDE PLATES, A SUPPLYRACK AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID STORAGE BIN, AND A PUSHER DRIVEN ALONG SAIDSUPPLY RACK BY SAID PLUNGER, MEANS FOR MOUNTING AT LEAST ONE OF SAIDSIDE PLATES AT SUBSTANTIALLY A MID PORTION OF THE BACK THEREOF ON ATRANSVERSE PIVOTAL AXIS IN THE BACK OF SAID MACHINE ABOVE THE PATH OFSAID PUSHER AND BELOW THE TOPS OF SAID SIDE PLATES, SAID PLATE BEINGPERPENDICULAR TO AND SLIDABLE ALONG SAID PIVOTAL AXIS TOWARD AND AWAYFROM THE PATH OF SAID PUSHER AND A TRANSVERSE MEMBER IN THE BACK OF THEMACHINE AND SPACED BELOW, SAID PIVOTAL AXIS AND HAVING TRANSVERSELYSPACED ABUTMENTS, SAID MOUNTING PERMITTING SAID MOVABLE SIDE PLATE TOSWING OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ABUTMENT, MOVE ALONG SAID AXIS TO ASECOND ABUTMENT, AND SWING BACK INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECONDABUTMENT FOR SELECTIVELY LOCATING SAID MOVABLE SIDE PLATE.